The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to detecting duplicate packets in networking systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information. Furthermore, IHSs may include several devices coupled together to form a network for the purpose of sharing data, resources and communication. Traditionally, the network will have a plurality of nodes, and paths will be formed between the nodes. The use of such a network raises a number of issues.
Conventionally, packets can be sent along the paths from node to node. Multiple paths between two nodes can cause duplicate packets to be sent. This can consume a lot of the network's bandwidth. Traditionally, the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), as defined in the IEEE Standard 802.1D, is used to eliminate the sending of duplicate packets by disabling redundant paths between nodes resulting in only a single operational path between any two nodes. The disabling of the redundant paths reduces the bandwidth capacity of the network.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved networking system.